Wet viviparity

Chapter 728 Mourning the Aunt, Auspicious Spirit
It was already past 11:00 AM, and the sun had completely set. In the western garden outside the city, there was a dilapidated temple.

This place is a desolate and secluded spot, with ancient trees whose branches are gnarled and twisted, like ghostly arms reaching for the sky. A half-rotten plaque hangs from the dilapidated gate of the temple, bearing the three characters "Xiyuan Temple". The characters are blurred, but they still retain the charm of the Buddhist calligraphy of the past. Now, however, they are dim and have been invaded by evil spirits.

Deep within the temple, the air was thick with the smell of decaying wood and rotting grass, mixed with a chilling atmosphere.

The stone niche in the hall was dilapidated, and a broken stone Buddha was half-buried in the dust, its face blurred, its compassion gone, leaving only the cold and hard stone.

Deep within the hollow eye sockets of the stone Buddha, a faint green light flickered eerily, like a blink of an eye. It was neither Buddhist nor Taoist, but rather exuded a somewhat demonic aura. After a while, as if sensing the movement outside the hall, the green light vanished, and the stone Buddha returned to the mortal world.

Before long, the soil at the base of the back wall of the temple silently churned, and a dark shadow crawled out and solidified into a figure.

The man, with hair like withered vines and a faltering gait, sat cross-legged beneath the stone Buddha. His gaze swept over the dilapidated prayer mat before the shrine. After a moment's thought, he calculated the time and suddenly saw a figure moving outside the temple. He laughed and asked, "Brother, when did you arrive?"

Outside the temple, two figures tumbled down from the air.

Jiang Hubiao lifted the hem of his shirt, strode forward, clasped his hands in a fist and smiled, "My younger brother Hei Xiao and I have just arrived. I wonder why you chose this place, brother?"

In fact, Jiang Hubiao had brought Hei Xiao here long ago. Although this West Garden was not as spacious as the Liaohua Ting on Jinjing Mountain, it was clear that it was well managed.

The garden is secluded and winding, with ancient cypress trees reflecting the new bamboo shoots, and several artificial hills surrounding the green pond.

A three-bay pavilion stands in the front courtyard to accommodate guests, while a secluded retreat is built in the middle. The pavilion reflects the lake's light, and the pond mirrors the sky. The winding corridors lead past the waterside pavilion as if entering a painting; the sparsely furnished cottage, near the plum grove, feels like dwelling in a secluded ravine. Truly, one can enjoy tea while stroking the pines and waiting for the moon, or escape the world by playing the zither amidst the bamboo.

This temple, however, was desolate and abandoned, filled with a strong eerie atmosphere, utterly uninteresting, which greatly dampened Jiang Hubiao's spirits.

Beneath the stone Buddha, the figure was Dao Yuanjun. A cloud of gray mist floated around him, blocking the view of the primordial spirit. After his gaze lingered on Hei Xiao for a few breaths, he said to Jiang Hubiao, "Brother, why are you dressed like this? It greatly diminishes your fierce and masculine aura."

Jiang Hubiao dusted off his scholar's robes and said, "Brother Daoyuan, you don't know, nowadays girls all like handsome young men. Even the lewd women in the unorthodox sects are fond of this kind of thing. I am not good at transformation magic, and I cannot forcibly take a woman's true yin due to my status, so I can only change my image and temperament."

Dao Yuanjun suggested, "I think you should focus on cultivating the transformation technique!"

“I have never heard of your younger brother before.”

"You're too talkative. We're only giving you face because you're an old friend of my brother. It's one thing if you don't treat me well, but you keep talking and making fun of me. Do you really think I'm some nobody from your Hidden Spirit Sect?"

Dao Yuanjun was speechless after being rebuked by Hei Xiao. Only after hearing Jiang Hubiao's whispered message did he realize that this boy was born with such talent.

"Haha, I was confused."

Dao Yuanjun, with an air of great composure, said, "The reason I invited people to this remote place is not only to fulfill my duty as a host, but also for a fortuitous opportunity. You will all know when all the Daoists arrive."

Before the words were finished, the shadow in the corner suddenly seemed to flow like living water.

A figure emerged from the darkness, and even before he got close, a pungent, earthy odor wafted over. Looking closer, the man had a sword at his waist and was impeccably dressed, appearing more scholarly than Jiang Hubiao, though his demeanor was undeniably sinister.

After entering the hall, the man bowed slightly to Jiang Hubiao, clearly indicating that he was an acquaintance.

Upon seeing Black Owl, he hesitated for a moment, but after the chief thief Yuanjun nodded, he seemed to lower his guard somewhat.

Dao Yuanjun laughed and said, "Fellow Daoist Zhang Shou looks pleased. It seems that the matter has already made progress. There are no outsiders here, so please speak freely."

"Yes!"

The man named Zhang Shou laughed and said, "The mute and deaf foreign monk that you asked me to inquire about has indeed been staying at Miaoyin Nunnery outside the West Gate. He was rumored to have come back to life in the past and was almost beaten to death by the villagers for being a drought demon."

It is said that he is now eighty years old and has nothing else by his side except a copy of the True Character Golden Sutra, the text of which no one can decipher.

This monk's characteristics all match the legends; he must be the incarnation of Venerable Lingjixiang from the Secret Demon Rock of Jintai Mountain. This is an incredible opportunity for us!

Hei Xiao was listening intently to Jiang Hubiao recount Zhang Shou's origins. Upon hearing the phrase "the body of wisdom outside the body" from the Bodhisattva Ling Jixiang, both brothers were momentarily stunned. Hei Xiao's surprise lasted only a moment before he feigned ignorance and asked, "Who is Venerable Ling Jixiang? And what is the body of wisdom outside the body?" Jiang Hubiao explained, "In Buddhism, once a capable person achieves enlightenment, they often conceal their name and deeds."

This Venerable Ling Jixiang is a capable person from the Great Bliss Temple of the Western Buddhist lineage. He has already attained the third stage of Anāgāmin, and has permanently severed the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance. He once made a great vow that his body would remain forever in the Secret Demon Rock of Mount Jintai, never falling into the mortal world, and directly attain the fourth stage of Arhatship.

Therefore, by accumulating good deeds in daily life, one can use one's primordial spirit to travel through the mortal world, seeking out mortal bodies whose lifespan is about to end and whose karmic causes have been resolved, and temporarily reside in them, which is called "residence body" or "response body", or even a wisdom body outside the body.

By using this temporary body to do good deeds and accumulate merit, one can cultivate a field of blessings. When one's lifespan naturally comes to an end, one can then withdraw one's original spirit, thus achieving perfect merit.

However, once this body reaches the age of ninety-nine, if one cannot use the power of good karma to cause it to pass away in time and for its primordial spirit to return to its rightful place, then it will be difficult to sever ties with this body, and over time one will inevitably become more and more entangled with the mortal world.

Even with a steadfast resolve, the Venerable One might still be tainted by the slightest obstacle, hindering the attainment of the pure and unobstructed golden body, adding obstacles to the ultimate achievement of the four stages of Arhatship, or even requiring one to begin accumulating merit anew before cleansing oneself of defilement and resuming the previous path.

"Young fellow Daoist."

Dao Yuanjun looked at Hei Xiao and said, "Your Excellency possesses great supernatural powers. If you find such a body of wisdom outside the body, when its merits are perfected and its lifespan reaches ninety-nine, you can help it end its wisdom body and return its primordial spirit to its rightful place, and then you can inherit the mantle of this body of wisdom outside the body."

According to fellow Daoist Zhang Shou, that foreign monk closely resembled the wise and virtuous characteristics of Venerable Lingjixiang, and the golden sutra beside him was likely one of the six-syllable mantras of the Great Bliss Temple. If we were to inherit that mantle, wouldn't we also be able to become revered ancestors in the future?

Upon hearing this, everyone's eyes lit up.

Black Owl nodded in agreement, but the thought of having to share the True Word Golden Scripture with these heretical demons made him very unhappy.

Although he told himself that waiting and seeing was the best course of action, he couldn't help but blurt out extremely sarcastic and cutting words.

"Although treasures have always belonged to those with virtue and ability, and are not limited to any particular sect or school, it is hard to imagine that people like you, whose true qi is mixed and impure, and whose primordial spirit is dark and unclear, would actually have such extravagant thoughts."

"Brother Xiao!"

Jiang Hubiao was about to dissuade him when he caught a glimpse of Hei Xiao's imposing face. His mind flashed back to his father, his elder brother, and several other people he had always feared. He fell silent for a moment.

He thought to himself that Dao Yuanjun was a person who was between good and evil, never leaning to either side. He was extremely cultured, had great ambitions, and was highly respected among the three generations of disciples of the Cangling Sect. His father had once praised him for having the mind of a sect leader.

Given Dao Yuanjun's magnanimity, he should not stoop to the level of Xiao Di.

Dao Yuanjun remained silent, but Zhang Shou spoke up, his words filled with resentment.

"The disciples of the True Spirit Sect are indeed arrogant. Do they think they can keep all the treasures for themselves?"
Even if you were to seize by force, you would still have to rely on your own skills and abilities to determine who is stronger and who is weaker. With your meager physical strength and abilities, you dare to snatch food from our tiger's mouth.

“You’re right.” Black Owl’s heart was filled with ruthlessness and ferocity. He crossed his arms and said, “Any treasure should be mine. This is the destiny of our True Spirit Sect. Do you, Zhang Shou, dare to defy this destiny?”

"I"

Zhang Shou was no fool; he wouldn't fall for this literary trap.

His lineage was not particularly profound, almost scattered, so he attached himself to Dao Yuanjun here, hoping to make a future in the Cangling Sect. Seeing that Dao Yuanjun had tolerated him, he naturally did not want to continue to resist, and only sought to gain prestige through words.

In my opinion...

A person arrived outside the hall. Before the voice even reached them, the person appeared in front of the hall in a flash.

"Forget about gold or silver scriptures, the important thing is to work together to get it done first."

"At that time, whether we divide or seize, it will be up to us to decide. Fighting here in vain, if that foreign monk's spirit senses our scheme beforehand, hehe, I'm afraid none of us will come out unscathed."

Before the man could finish speaking, Dao Yuanjun and Zhang Shou stood up to greet him, their faces full of respect, and shouted, "Welcome to Bai Chou Sanggu from Hibiscus Immortal City!"

(End of this chapter)